Tottenham joins list of top Premier League teams to lose at Bournemouth after Huijsen winner

Manchester City, Arsenal, and now Tottenham.

The list of top Premier League teams beaten at Bournemouth this season is growing.

Dean Huijsen took advantage of Tottenham’s weakness at set pieces to head home a 17th-minute winner in Bournemouth’s 1-0 victory on Thursday.

Bournemouth climbed into ninth — a point and a place above Tottenham in the standings — and underlined its penchant for surprising high-profile visitors to Vitality Stadium.

Man City’s remarkable four-game losing run in the Premier League started with a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, while fellow title contender Arsenal’s first loss of the season also came at the Vitality, 2-0 on Oct. 19.

This was Spurs' sixth defeat of the campaign. They now have as many wins as losses, highlighting the inconsistency blighting their season, and their seven away results so far make remarkable reading: aside from a 3-0 win at Manchester United and a 4-0 thrashing of Man City, Tottenham has lost four and drawn the other at relegation candidate Leicester.

An inability to defend set plays continues to hurt Ange Postecoglou’s side. A week after Roma scored twice from them in a 2-2 draw in the Europa League, Huijsen roamed free in the area at a corner and headed home unmarked.

Postecoglou said in May said he “wasn’t interested” about his side’s fallibility while defending set pieces, and said after losing 1-0 to Arsenal in September — after a goal from Gabriel at a corner — that “it’s my burden to carry and I’m happy to do that.”

“We started well and conceded a really poor goal," Postecoglou said after the Bournemouth game. “It’s a difficult place to come when giving the opposition the opportunity to play in the manner they want.”

IWOBI DOUBLE

Alex Iwobi scored goals early and late in the game to lead Fulham to a 3-1 win over Brighton.

The Nigeria winger intercepted a stray pass out from the back by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and slotted into an unguarded net for the opener in the fourth minute and curled home Fulham’s clinching goal in the 87th.

Carlos Baleba equalized for Brighton in the 56th before Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley – a former Fulham academy player – deflected the ball into his own net from a corner to put the home side back in front.

Fulham climbed to sixth in the standings, a point and a place behind Brighton.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Brighton and Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba, right, celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between FC Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion in London, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)

Fulham's Alex Iwobi, right, celebrates scoring the opening goal with Rodrigo Muniz during the Premier League match between Fulham and Brighton at Craven Cottage, London, Thursday Dec. 5, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)

Fulham's Alex Iwobi, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League match between Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Brighton and Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between FC Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion in London, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)

Fulham's Alex Iwobi, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League match between Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski, left, and Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, right, challenage for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, front, celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, right, scores the opening goal during during the English Premier League soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between AFC Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur in Bournemouth, England, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks placed running back Kenneth Walker III on injured reserve prior to their game against the Chicago Bears on Thursday because of an ankle injury.

Walker hurt his ankle in last week's loss to Minnesota and left that game after sitting out the previous two because of a calf problem. He also missed two weeks in September with an oblique issue.

Walker has run for 573 yards and seven touchdowns on 153 carries. A second-round draft pick by Seattle in 2022, he has 2,528 yards rushing and 24 TDs in his career.

Walker could, in theory, return if the Seahawks win two playoff games, though their postseason hopes were slim entering the game against Chicago. Seattle (8-7) trailed the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams (9-6) by one game with two to play.

The Seahawks' best path to the postseason was to win the final two regular-season games and have Los Angeles lose to Arizona on Saturday. Seattle visits the Rams to close the regular season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) walks down the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs with the football as Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) tries to tackle during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)